Campaigners fighting to save Saundersfoot’s historic Monterey Cypress tree on the seafront, have been given 12 months to carry out remedial works.

At Wednesday’s meeting of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority’s development management committee, members voted to give interested parties 12 months to carry out necessary remedial work to save the 83-year-old tree on Scar Rock.

The committee agreed there had been a passionate response in favour of preserving the tree after receiving more than 170 objections to the application to have it felled.

A previous application to fell the tree, which has been described as an “attractive and much loved feature of the village for over eighty years,” by the Friends of Saundersfoot and Distirict, was refused by the National Park committee in May 2017.

The application before PCNPA this week stated that the tree’s condition and its rooting environment had continued to deteriorate, with a recommendation to fell it on the grounds of health and safety.

Nicky Mallen from the ‘Save Saundersfoot's Lonely Tree’ group said: “We are completely at a loss as to why this false narrative of part of the root system being problematic when exposed, as this is how this tree rolls. Our arborist in his excellent report proved they are living too.”

Pembrokeshire tree care specialist Adrian Dowler of ArbAid put forward a case to the development management committee this week for the tree’s health and current status, explaining what needed to be done to ensure its health and stability.

Adrian told the committee that following his own examination he believed the tree could last another 40 or 50 years if necessary work were to be carried out on the crown.

Local resident Duncan Hilling with his wealth of experience as a former head gardener at Picton Castle made representation to the meeting, objecting on behalf of Saundersfoot in Bloom, whilst Rowland Williams objected on behalf of the Friends of Saundersfoot and District.

Clr. Martyn Williams told the meeting that many groups and individuals had come forward wanting to help save the tree, and together they would source the money needed to manage it.

He admitted Saundersfoot Community Council could have acted sooner as a previous application had already been made in 2017 to have the tree felled on the grounds of public risk.

“We didn’t know who owned the land, but that was definitely our fault, we should have investigated it and acted upon it,” he said.

“I just hope it is not too late. The village is now galvanised. We are to blame, but we want to make amends.

“We will work ceaselessly to ensure the survival of this tree. It is our beating heart,” he added.

Members of PCNPA’s development management committee made a site visit to the village’s beach last month to view the subject matter dubbed ‘Saundersfoot’s Lonely Tree’ by campaigners that have fought to retain it.

The Save Saundersfoot’s Lonely Tree campaigners have recently set up a steering group to compliment their expanding campaign group on Facebook.